Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for slandering him in a 2018 Washington Post article in which Hurd alleges that the actor was severely abused by her – a claim that Depp claims has ruined his career. . But a week before the end of the much-watched controversy, another star appeared in Camille Vazquez, the ace of Depp’s legal team in the hole.
The hashtag #camillevasquez has more than 980 million impressions on TikTok. A video of her quick objections to Hurd’s chief lawyer, Elaine Bradhoft, had nearly 30 million views. TikTok’s two-minute video of her interruptions in the courtroom read, “Where did this woman get her diploma from?” Erudera. (Demand for USC, Vazquez’s student college, has increased by 127%.) Another TikTok compares Vazquez to Rachel Zane, the legal eagle that Megan Markle plays in Suits.
The dramatic white suit Vazquez wore to some of Hurd’s testimony is perhaps the most debated since Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president. Shortly after Disney + released the trailer for the Marvel She-Hulk TV series on Wednesday, about a lady lawyer who shares Bruce Banner’s tired temperament, Vazquez was already inspiring memes. In front of the Fairfax County Courthouse, Depp supporters ambushed Vazquez for hugs and selfies.
What about the previously unknown Vazquez, who dealt mainly with internal corporate complaints before joining the celebrity process of the decade that has made so many people laugh?
Vazquez was born in San Francisco to Cuban and Colombian parents. She is currently a contributor to Brown-Rudnick, where she was named one of the “Best Lawyers” magazine last year. She has previously assisted Depp in cases against his former lawyer Jake Bloom and former business manager Joel Mandel.
After maintaining a relatively low profile for most of the hammer-to-hammer coverage of the trial, Vazquez, 37, intervened as attorney general Ben Chu and was in the spotlight to deal with Amber Heard’s testimony. Vazquez, a young woman like Hurd, seemed a better interviewer than Chu in middle age.
Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Vazquez appeared before the cameras, exhausting Bredehoft as he questioned his client. Vazquez made many successful objections, blocking Bredehoft from establishing facts that could benefit her client. From time to time Vazquez joined in before Bredehoft answered his question. After a strong objection, Judge Penny Azkarate told Bredehoft to rephrase his question; after a pause, Bredehoft snorted, “I’m trying, I’m trying.”
Vazquez’s performance sought to blunt the impact of Hurd’s testimony, while diverting some of the devastating physical evidence against Depp, including threatening text messages and serious allegations of abuse and assault made by Hurd under oath.
Camille Vazquez embraces his client Johnny Deep in court in Virginia. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images
During his own cross-examination, Vazquez attacked Hurd’s trust. Among other things: Vazquez presented photo after photo of the unharmed Hurd, made after the accusations of abuse of the actor, and reiterated that Hurd has deviated from promises to release his divorce agreement from Depp.
Her answers in the court of public opinion recall the stellar turn of Johnny Cochrane from the mid-90s during the trial of OJ Simpson. A commentator on Vazquez’s objection, TikTok, described her as a “Hermione of the law.” Another erupted, “I like how she knows when Amber plays with words, and she stops her right away.”
Vazquez’s interactions with Depp led to online rumors of a romantic entanglement between the two – an idea that made Vazquez laugh when a paparazzi offered him out of court. (Vazquez is said to be linked to a British broker.) It is more likely that the touches and hugs shared between Depp and Vazquez were – as body language experts speculate – designed to make Depp look softer.
Her stellar turn is further evidence of the strange way this defamation process has become a television blockbuster. It’s one thing to have a strong lawyer in court, it’s quite another to have one with your own set of fans.
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